Betrayed
by x.Delta.x
Summary: Not long after the death of Wolfheart and Coyoteclaw, their only living brother, Foxwhisker carries on a normal life. But Tigerstar has now targeted one of Foxwhisker's newborn kits, and this is one adventure just waiting to blow up.
1. Allegiences

LEADER Onestar-brown tabby tom

DEPUTY: Ashfoot-gray she-cat

MEDICINE CAT: Kestrelflight-mottled gray tom

WARRIORS

Crowfeather-dark gray tom

Owlwhisker-light brown tabby tom

Apprentice, Whiskerpaw

Whitetail-small white she-cat

Nightcloud-black she-cat

Gorsetail-very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur-ginger tom with white paws

Harespring-brown-and-white tom

Leaftail-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Antpelt-brown tom with one black ear

Emberfoot-gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice, Furzepaw

Breezepelt-black tom with amber eyes

Apprentice, Boulderpaw

Sedgewhisker-light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail-dark gray she-cat

Foxwhisker-red tom with white on his chest and amber eyes.

QUEENS

Sunstrike-tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead (Mother of the six)

KITS

Birchkit-white tom cat with black stripes and amber eyes.

Oakkit-redish-amber tom cat with dark brown eyes.

Lilykit-peachy-colored she-cat with dark brown eyes.

Flowerkit-dark brown tabby she-cat with ice blue eyes.

Treekit-brown tom with green eyes.

Applekit-redish she-cat with yellow eyes.

APPRENTICES

Furzepaw-gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderpaw-large pale gray tom

Whiskerpaw-light brown tom

ELDERS:

Webfoot-dark gray tabby tom

Tornear-tabby tom


	2. Prologue

A beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat was standing in a clearing. She looked around her, wondering where she was. Large oak trees loomed around her small body. There were whispers, too low for any cat to hear. Then, a very large white and gray tom cat stepped in the clearing. His black eyes glinted in the moonlight. The she-cat's eyes got wide, and after a moment of silence, she managed to speak these words; "Wolfheart...?", not believing what she was seeing. "Am I in StarClan? Am I dead?" She looked panicked.

Wolfheart grinned. "You're not dead, Sunstrike."

Sunstrike looked relieved, and confused. "Then why am I here?"

Wolfheart's grin disappeared. "I have something to tell you," he said. "Actually, I have to warn you."

"Warn me? Of what?"

"I have a prophecy for you," Wolfheart said. "There were three, but the six will be betrayed by one of their own."

"What does that mean?" Sunstrike asked Wolfheart, but before he could answer her question she began to fade. Moments later she woke up in a small nursery den, six little bundles of fur lying next to her. "The six will be betrayed by one of their own..." she said, repeating the last part of the prophecy Wolfheart had given her. Her face hardened with sadness, and hopelessness. Would her kits share the same fate as Coyoteclaw or Wolfheart?

"Sunstrike...?" a voice said, outside from the den.

"Yes?" Sunstrike called out.

A tall, scrawny, orange tom came in. He had a white stripe down his chest and amber eyes that looked almost black in the dim light of the nursery.

"Foxwhisker!" Sunstrike called to the tom, her gaze softened as she saw her mate. "Come see our kits..."


	3. Chapter 1

"You can't catch me!" a small- and very cute- redish she-cat with yellow eyes yelled behind her. She was running through a small meadow with a large white tom with black stripes chasing her, his amber eyes glinting with pleasure as he almost caught up to her. They were so small; no bigger than a mouse, and they still had only kitten fuzz. A yellow tortoiseshell she-cat with markings on her face was sitting nearby, watching her kits, laughing at every move they made.

"No claws, Birchkit," she yellow she-cat told the white tom with black stripes.

"But ma!" Birchkit complained. "That's what makes it fun!"

"If I catch you scratching your brothers or sisters again I'll make sure you'll spend your first month of being an apprentice by taking care of the elders!" the kits' mother said, making her point. Birchkit shook his head and ran off to catch his sister.

"Sunstrike," a deep voice said behind the she-cat said. She looked back to find a red tom cat with white on his chest and large amber eyes.

"Foxwhisker," she greeted him. She looked back to the kits. There were six in total; five hiding, and one, Birchkit seeking. She found one near a rock hiding, another was inside a log. She wasn't sure where the others were, but she convinced herself they were fine.

Foxwhisker sat down next to Sunstrike. He stared out over the large meadow thoughtfully. The meadow seemed to dark now, compared to just minutes before. A storm had begun to move in, but it would probably- hopefully- just pass.

"What ya thinkin'?" Sunstrike asked Foxwhisker, looking at him.

"Ya know what I'm thinking," Foxwhisker started, still staring out across the open meadow. "I'm thinkin'; if I was the scrawniest, weakest, basically the runt of the litter in my family, why I survived the prophecy when it clearly said 'only the strongest will survive'..."

"You're not weak," Sunstrike told Foxwhisker comfortingly. Foxwhisker looked at her in a are-you-crazy kinda look. "Well, it doesn't matter. You're the one who survived."

Foxwhisker grinned a little and looked across the meadow again. "But, everyone knew it would be Wolfheart to survive. How did he die?"

"That's just one thing, we may never know," Sunstrike said, now looking where her mate was.

After a while of watching their kits play, Foxwhisker's ears stood straight up. He then stood up, looking around nervously.

"What is it?" Sunstrike asked nervously, her voice shaking.

"Gets the kits. Now!" he told her, still looking around for any danger. Sunstrike immediately took his advice and ran out to where her kits were playing to find them all.

"Kits!" she yelled, but none of them came. "KITS!" she yelled again, now more panicked than before. Foxwhisker looked down at her and they both knew something was wrong. In the distance, they heard a faint screech. That horrible, innocent, tiny little screech was enough to let the parents know where their kits were.

Sunstrike ran for the Lake, knowing her kits were there. Foxwhisker followed her swiftly. There it was again, another screech. In Sunstrike's mine, she saw her kits being thrown one-by-one into the Lake by a shadowy cat from the Dark Forest that was out for revenge on her kits. She ran faster than she had ever run before.

By the time they'd reached the Lake, Sunstrike and Foxwhisker's hearts were about to explode out of their chests. But they didn't care. They had to find their kits. Sunstrike walked along the rocky shore, the water gently lapping at her paws. That's when she noticed... blood.


	4. Chapter 2

Sunstrike just stared at the water. Her only expression was heartbreak. Foxwhisker looked over at her, then the water. His shoulders fell with despair. Were their kits still alive? What had happened to them? Sunstrike snapped out of her daze. She looked around her frantically, as if expecting an enemy to burst from the water at any moment.

Foxwhisker walked over to her. "Sunstrike...?"

She didn't answer. She just ran down into the water. Foxwhisker ran after her. "Sunstrike!" he called. "You can't swim!" But he was too late. She plunged into the murky Lake water. Even though he could not swim either, he jumped in the water after her anyway.

Sunstrike waded through the dark water, hardly able to keep her head above the water. Within ten seconds, her nose and eyes were all Foxwhisker could see of her.

On the shore, a RiverClan patrol had seen them struggling in the water. Their eyes got large and full of fear when they saw the blood in the water. The RiverClan patrol had about three cats, which were only silhouettes to Sunstrike and Foxwhisker. Sunstrike still kept trying to keep her head above the water. The RiverClan cats plunged into the water, but they were still far away. Sunstrike would be completely submerged under the water by then.

"Sunstrike!" Foxwhisker yelled out to her again, his voice full of desperation. "Please! Come back! You're going to drown!"

She didn't slow down.

Then, she saw a small lump of fur floating on the top of the water. It was a reddish-amber kind of color. "OAKKIT!" she screeched and swam to her kit. She was almost to him when she found herself submerged under the water now. She was gasping for breath, and now falling unconscious. She heard her mate's calls from above the surface, but he was too far to help her. Then, her world went blank.


	5. Chapter 3

By the time Foxwhisker had reached his mate the RiverClan cats were passing him up. One of them submurged where Sunstrike had disappeared at, one stayed to help Foxwhisker ashore, and the other went to get Oakkit.

Foxwhisker collapsed once he made it to shore. Breathing heavily, he looked up at the RiverClan cat who'd saved his life. Standing next to him was a beautiful gray and white she-cat. Her eyes were dark, and colorless. "Are you okay!" she asked desperately.

"I-I'm f-fine," Foxwhisker managed to say inbetween breaths. He was shaking heavily. The other two RiverClan cats came up on shore. One was dragging Sunstrike onto shore and the other was carrying Oakkit by his scruff. The one dragging Sunstrike was a large black tom. The one carrying Oakkit by the scruff was a gray she-cat with deep blue eyes. Foxwhisker knew who she was; Mistystar. It devastated to see his mate and one of his six kits like this; pelts dripping and ruffled, blood coming from a large gash in Oakkit's side, his nose, mouth, and ears.

Foxwhisker tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him.

Mistystar put Oakkit down near him and said "don't try to stand, Foxwhisker." Foxwhisker looked at her, confused.

"How-how do y-you know my name?" Foxwhisker asked her. He was still shivering.

"Just because you're WindClan doesn't mean I don't know who you are, Foxwhisker," Mistystar told him.

"Mistystar!" the black tom yelled from behind her. He was staring at Sunstrike. Sunstrike stopped breathing. Foxwhisker got up and ran to her, feeling almost unbearable pain. He collapsed next to her.

"Sunstrike...?" Foxwhisker said next to her. Mistystar came behind him moments later. The gray and white she-cat stayed back with Oakkit. Foxwhisker's head fell. He slowly closed his eyes in a desperate attempt to shut out the pain in his heart.

"I am truly sorry, Foxwhisker," Mistystar said, her head bowed in sympathy.

A thought suddenly occured to Foxwhisker; "What about my other kits?" he asked himself.

"Other kits?" the black tom echoed. "What other kits?"

Foxwhisker stood up. "There are five other kits," he said looking at the black tom. He looked back at the gray and white she-cat, who was cradling Oakkit, trying to warm him. The she-cat looked at Foxwhisker, then she looked away.

"Come on, we need to get Foxwhisker and Oakkit back to their home," Mistystar said. She began walking back toward the heart of WindClan territory. The she-cat who was currently taking care of Oakkit picked him up and began carrying him after her leader. The black tom picked her limp body up by her scruff and dragged her, following Mistystar. Foxwhisker followed them, limping the whole way home. _StarClan, let them be okay... Let my kits be okay, _he prayed. Pain swelled in his heart as he followed the Riverclan cats back to his home with only one of his kits and his mate's dead body.


	6. Chapter 4

Foxheart, Mistystar, and the two other RiverClan cats emerged into the WindClan camp. The Clan obviusly already knew they were here, because Onestar was already out of his den and coming to them. His emotions told nothing but confusion and heartbreak. "What happen?" he asked.

"Me and Sunstrike were down by the Meadow when we realized the kits had run off," Foxwhisker began. "She jumped in the water when she saw the blood, and I after her. I don't know where the others are."

"They're here," Onestar said. Foxwhisker looked at him, hope and unbelievable happiness swelled in his heart. "They came back to camp saying they had lost you, Oakkit, and Sunstrike."

"Daddy!" five small squeaks yelled from behind Onestar. Foxwhisker's last five kits came running to their father, but stopped when they saw their mother's limp body.

"We should be leaving now," Mistystar said. She bowed her head to Onestar and left, her two warriors following her.

That night those who were closest to Sunstrike sat around her body all night, grieving for her. Oakkit had died soon after he got back home. Kestrelflight could do nothing to help him. So Foxwhisker had two to grieve for that night. By morning, he was too tired to even think. He stumbled into his nest and fell immediately asleep.

Foxwhisker woke up feeling in a daze. His vision was blury for a few moments. Until he finally regained his vision, he had no idea where he was. Not in his nest. Not even in WindClan camp. He was in the Dark Forest.

"I am getting really quite tired of waking in this place," Foxwhisker mumbled to himself.

"Try living here as long as I have," a deep voice said behind him. Foxwhisker wasn't surprised at the least. He simply turned around to face who he thought would be Tigerstar. It wasn't. It was Darkstripe.

"What do you want!" Foxwhisker demanded.

"I see you have changed, friend," Darkstripe said menacingly.

"You know I am not your friend," Foxwhisker said calmly. "I am your enemy, and you are mine."

"Maybe..." Darkstripe said. He began circling Foxwhisker. "But do you know who your real friends are? Who are your friends, Foxwhisker?"

Before Foxwhisker could answer he heard the bushes behind him shake. He looked back and saw his brother, Wolfheart.

Wolfheart looked the same as he always did; a very large gray tom with a white stripe going down his chest. His dark eyes gleaming in the moonlight as always.

"Why do you creatures like to give my brother a hard time?" Wolfheart asked Darkstripe calmly.

"Maybe it's fun harrassing the living," Darkstripe said to Wolfheart, glancing at Foxwhisker then back.

Wolfheart shook his head. "You know, I really don't like you," he told Darkstripe.

Darkstripe growled. "I think I know that you mouse-brain!" he yelled.

"I wasn't sure if you knew by now," Wolfheart said, holding back a grin and trying to keep a straight face. "You _old _Dark Forest cats have a tendency to forget things over time."

Darkstripe growled even louder. "I haven't forgotten, young warrior."

"Good," Wolfheart responded. "Don't forget that."

Just as Darkstripe was preparing to lunge at Wolfheart, Wolfheart began to vanish until he was completely gone.

"Mouse-dung!" Darkstripe cursed. He looked at Foxwhisker. Foxwhisker looked behind him both ways, seeing if someone was behind him- more like hoping. No one was behind him. "Well, I guess I can take my anger out on you." Darkstripe got down, getting ready to spring when Foxwhisker began to vanish as well. Foxwhisker smiled coldly and was gone in moments.

Foxwhisker woke up under Silverpelt, surrounded by the warmth of his Clanmates. It was still much too early, so he just turned over and fell back asleep- a sleep with dreams of Sunstrike and his kits.


	7. Chapter 5

Foxwhisker and Sunstrike had a few moons of peace and quiet. Soon enough the kits all received their apprentice names and their mentors. Lilypaw became the new medicine apprentice. Birchpaw was the best fighter. Treekit, although the smallest and the runt of the litter, would never give up a fight and stood strong. Applekit became very cunning and strong. Flowerpaw was always very gentle and kind.

Their apprentice months were relitively quiet as well. Until they were almost warriors, that is...

One morning the kits woke up, happy and excited. They were about to be made warriors! It was just a matter of moments until Onestar would call them out in front of the whole Clan and make them warriors. They had all become strong warriors; all loyal to the Warrior Code and decent fighters.

"Where's paw...?" Flowerpaw asked, looking around the room. Her fur was dark, almost black, and her icy blue eyes still shone almost gray in the dim sunlight of the den.

Foxwhisker was also in the den with his kits, pride swelling in him. He became thoughtful when Flowerpaw said that.

"Eh, she's around here somewhere," Birchpaw said. He was snowy white with brilliant black stripes that made him truly look like a birch tree. His amber eyes signaled he wasn't worried about his sister.

"Well, she's gonna be late..." Treepaw said. He was a plain brown tom with bright green eyes. "Should someone go find her?"

"I'll go find her," Foxwhisker told his kits. He headed out of the den. He ran into a beautiful peach-colored she-cat with dark brown eyes. "Lilypaw."

"Father!" the she-cat greeted Foxwhisker. "I was just going in to wish the others good luck."

"Go ahead in. I'm just out looking for Applepaw. She's missing."

Lilypaw made a tsk-tsk sounds and said "and on one of the most important days of her life, too!"

Foxwhisker shrugged and said "that's Applepaw".

Foxwhisker left Lilypaw to wish her littermates good luck and started asking around if anyone had seen Applepaw anywhere.

Foxwhisker wasn't going to give up looking for his daughter. He became panicked. He convinced a few more Clan cats to help him find her. Onestar wouldn't start the warrior ceremony without Applepaw.

After searching for half the day in and out of the camp the entire Clan was searching. They had wound up searching all day, but she was yet to be found. By the time they stopped searching for the apprentice it was dark and everyone went off to bed.

Foxwhisker couldn't sleep. He was mystified to the point of distraction. He looked up at the Silverpelt, praying a silent prayer to StarClan asking for his daughter's safety.

"Father...?" he heard a voice say behind him. It was Birchpaw.

"Birchpaw," Foxwhisker greeted his son. "What is the matter?"

"Oh, couldn't sleep..." he said. "Mind if I sit with you for a few minutes?"

"Sure."

Birchpaw sat by his father, looking out at the stars with wonder. "I wonder if there's anything past Silverpelt..." he wondered out loud.

"Maybe nothing," Foxwhisker said.

After a few minutes of silence Birchpaw said good-night to his father and went to bed. Foxwhisker just stayed to watch the stars all night. It wasn't until they began to disappear, when he left his spot.

Onestar decided that Flowerpaw, Birchpaw, and Treepaw would have their warrior ceremony today, since he wasn't sure when- or if- they would ever find Applepaw.

After the ceremony the Clan chanted the young warrior's new names; "Birchstripe! Treefur! Flowerheart! Lilypetal!". Pride and sadness swelled in Foxwhisker's heart. He had lost his mate and now two of his kits. Who else was he going to have to lose to death? Was it StarClan punishing him for the death of Wolfheart or for the betrayal of Coyoteclaw? If it was Foxwhisker didn't know how to help it. He was convinced that it was StarClan blaming him for the death of Sunstrike and Oakkit- and now the disappearance of Flowerkit. _It always my fault! _he thought to himself hopelessly. _I could have saved Sunstrike and Oakkit! And I shouldn't have let Applepaw out of my sight. They never deserved to die. It's all my fault!_


	8. Chapter 6

Not much time passed when everyone realized there was no hope at all in finding Applepaw. Flowerheart never gave up though. She searched for her sister whenever she had extra time. Birchstripe and Treefur wanted to find their sister to the point of literal heartache, but they had more than their sisters to worry about; Tigerstar.

Birchstripe found himself waking up in a clearing in the middle of a forest... a forest with no sound, no smells, no sounds, no life. It was dark. He had to wait for his eyes to adjust until he could begin moving. He stood up and looked all around him. He realized most of the trees were pine trees. _Could I be in ShadowClan territory?_ he thought to himself. _Impossible..._

"You're not in ShadowClan territory," a cold, menacing voice said. Birchstripe turned in circles trying to find the speaker.

"Come out!" Birchstripe demanded. Fear showed in his eyes.

In the direction he was originally looking, a tall, muscular figure came from the bushes. Birchstripe couldn't tell what color he was yet. All he could see at this point was the cold amber eyes that glowed. Once the mysterious cat stepped into the clearing Birchstripe could see him clearly; he was a muscular tom cat with dark tabby coloring and a lot of scars. Birchstripe didn't exactly know who he was, but he didn't like him.

"Third generation," the tom cat said, oddly pleased.

"What's your name?" Birchstripe asked the tom, uncomfortable with the tone in the mysterious cat's voice. Birchstripe narrowed his eyes at the mysterious stranger.

"My name, Birchstripe," the tom began, emphasizing Birchstripe's name "is Tigerstar."

"And where exactly am I?" Birchstripe asked Tigerstar.

"You are in the Dark Forest, my boy."

Birchstripe's eyes got large with shock and fear. "I'm- I'm dead?"

"No, no, no. You're not dead." Tigerstar began to circle Birchstripe. "You're just... visiting old relatives."

"'Old relatives'...?" Birchstripe repeated, not letting Tigerstar out of his sight. "You...?"

"No," Tigerstar said. He stopped in front of Birchstripe. "I'm not related to you, but he is," he gestured to a sleek, black-and-gray tom cat that emerged from the bushes behind Tigerstar as if on cue. Birchstripe couldn't see the color of his eyes. "Birchstripe, meet your great-great grandfather." Tigerstar had a cold look on his face. Birchstripe on the other hand, looked not scared, but confused.

"Hello, Birchstripe," the new-comer said. "I am Darkstripe, your father's mother's father." Darkstripe dipped his head to Birchstripe, expecting the same. Birchstripe just stood in front of the two tom cats with a what-just-happened look and his mouth hanging wide open.

"Birchstripe!" a she-cat's voice said behind him. He looked back to see his mother, Sunstrike, coming toward him.

"Mother...?" Birchstripe mumbled. It was as if he'd just walked into a scary horror story, and what just made it worse was that his mother- even though already dead- was here now too.

"Birchstripe, let me handle this," Sunstrike ordered him. She passed him and put herself between the Dark Forest cats and her son. "You have no business bothering my family," she told them, Birchstripe still standing in the background, mouth gaping like a open-mouth cave.

"But-um-wait-what?" Birchstripe stuttered. Shock was taking over all his senses.

"Now now," Darkstripe said to Sunstrike menacingly, stifling a snarl. "We just wanted Birchstripe to meet an old... friend of his."

Sunstrike tilted her head in a questioning manner. "Who?"

Darkstripe grinned and looked behind him. Emerging from the bushes was a large, muscular, redish-brown tom cat with dark brown eyes. It was the largest cat Sunstrike or Birchstripe had ever seen.

"Oak-Oakkit...?" Sunstrike mumbled, taking a hopeful step closer. A tear gathered in her eye until she blinked it away. "No..." She backed away, finally realizing what was going on. "Why? What are you doing here? Why didn't you come to StarClan?"

"He's not Oakkit any longer," Tigerstar answered. "It's Oakleaf. He's a warrior now. He grew up here."

"That's impossible!" Sunstrike argued fearfully. "He should've stayed a kit!"

"But I didn't," Oakkit answered in a low, threatening voice. "You know why I didn't come to StarClan?" he asked her. Everyone hesitated and watched him- even Tigerstar and Darkstripe- wanting to know his explanation. "Because I wanted revenge. You and Foxwhisker weren't there for me! You should've been there for me!"

Sunstrike couldn't hold the tears back. she began crying heavily, not able to meet her son's eyes.

Birchstripe came up next to his mother and stood in front of her protectively. "That's enough, Oakleaf," he demanded.

"Oakleaf, I am so sorry! I wanted to help you! I died trying to save you!" Sunstrike pleaded with him. "I know I cannot even begin to ask for you forgiveness, but know that I wanted you home more than you could possibly know."

Oakleaf bowed his head, not meeting his mother's or brother's eyes. For a moment his gaze softened regrettably. A moment later it hardened again and he looked his brother right in the eyes. "Maybe it's not her that has to pay, but you."

"Me?" Birchstripe inquired. "Um... why?"

"Because," Oakleaf insisted. "You were always her favorite. You should've been there to help me. I was your brother."

"I was a kit. I didn't even know where you'd gone!" Birchstripe argued. "Oakleaf, why is revenge so important to you? What will you gain from it?"

Oakleaf looked at his brother in silence for a few long, horrible moments. Then said "you could not possibly understand, Birchstripe. You haven't lost anything so important before."

"I lost you, Oakleaf. You were my brother." Birchstripe was never an emotional type, but now he meant it. This didn't phase Oakleaf at all.

Sunstrike, still crying, began fading. Birchstripe knew what was happening; she was leaving him. He would be all alone in this hell.

Within a moment he was all alone- only his enemies to keep him company.

"I have an idea," Tigerstar said cooly. He whispered something to Darkstripe and they both grinned. He whispered again to Oakleaf and Oakleaf grinned. "Your kind words don't mean a thing here, Oakleaf."

Birchstripe felt a tight sickening feeling in his stomach- the feeling of anticipation and nervousness. He swallowed hard. The blood roared in his ears. Then, he fell.


	9. Chapter 7

Treefur had fallen asleep among his clan; his friends, family, litter mates. But he was there no longer. He was in the middle of a gorgeous forest. It seemed almost perfect; the sounds and smells of the most prey-rich forest that he was certain he would never walk in again. Almost too perfect. He became suspicious where he was and why.

He stood up, his brown pelt blending in with the leafy ground. _But it's green-leaf..._ Treefur thought to himself. The trees loomed around him- all oak trees like in the ThunderClan territory. The sun just barely shone through the treetops. The smells of leaf-fall were in the air; the fresh air, a strong smell of leaves, and prey running frantically to stock up for leaf-bare- even though Treefur thought this forest looked too perfect to ever have endured one.

"Marvelous, isn't it?" a gentle, but strong voice said from somewhere beside him. Treefur looked left and standing, looking up was a tom cat. His back was light gray while down his chest was a bright white. He had dark- almost black eyes. One of the largest cats Treefur had seen in his life. The newcomer looked down at Treefur. "I am Wolfheart, your ancestor."

Treefur just glared suspiciously at Wolfheart. "I'm Treef-"

"I know who you are, Treefur," Wolfheart interrupted him.

"How...?" Treefur asked Wolfheart.

"That isn't important," Wolfheart told Treefur. "The only thing that is important is you and your brothers and sisters must break the cycle."

Treefur looked at Wolfheart as if he'd just said 'you are a dog'. "What... 'cycle'?" Treefur asked, obviously confused.

"For three generations now," Wolfheart began, "Tigerstar and his colleagues have been murdering your ancestors; starting with a young she-cat named Hawktalon, whom you've obviously never heard of." Treefur shook his head and Wolfheart bowed his head low, sighed, and sat down. Treefur sat down next to him. He could tell this would not be a short story. "You see, your great-great grandfather was Darkstripe, one of Tigerstar's allies and-"

"Who's Tigerstar?" Treefur interrupted. Wolfheart lifted his head quickly in shock the young warrior had never heard of Tigerstar.

"He was a very evil cat," Wolfheart said. "He caused the deaths of many warriors. He wanted power of all the Clans, and he murdered and blackmailed until he got it... somewhat. But that's not what's important right now. Right now what's important is you and your littermates. They're in trouble, Treefur."

Treefur's eyes got wide. His ears pointed toward Wolfheart, ready to hear what had happened. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

Wolfheart bowed his head again and sighed. "You have to break the cycle. Make sure your kits never deal with Tigerstar or Darkstripe. Keep a close eye on them." He looked Treefur in the eyes. "I'm not sure how much this may help, but it'll keep your kits alive."

"What about my littermates!" Treefur asked impatiently and furiously.

Wolfheart was almost taken aback with Treefur's tone. But he understood. "I know what it's like for your littermates to be in danger." Treefur didn't say a word. He just looked at his paws and began shifting them shamefully.

"I am sorry," Treefur said apologetically. "I should've never spoken to you like that."

"I understand," Wolfheart said. "But for now, we have to-"

Treefur woke up in his den at home- in WindClan territory. He was surrounded by all his clanmates, and more importantly his family. Until he realize his brother Birchstripe was gone. "Birchstripe...?" Treefur mumbled. He sat waiting for a few minutes; Birchstripe didn't come back.

Flowerheart and Lilypetal began arousing in their nests. Treefur wondered where his brother had gone...

Treefur went over to his sisters and nudged Flowerheart with his paw. "Huh...?" she trailed off sleepily, falling back asleep. He nudged her harder. "What do you want!" she demanded furiously, looking up at him.

"I don't know where Birchstripe is!" Treefur said desperately and confused. "I don't know where he went!"

Flowerheart sat up and stretched. "He probably just got out for some fresh air or something," she said yawning.

Lilypelt blinked, sat up, and stretched as well. "Don't get your fur into knots. He's fine."

"But I've been up since sunhigh! He's not been back once. And, um... I had a dream."

"Oh, a dream? Really?" Lilypetal mocked him.

"It's not funny!" Treefur argued. "It was about our ancestor; Wolfheart. And about..." he trailed off thoughtfully. "Oh! Darkstripe and Tigerstar!" he remembered victoriously.

"How do you know those names!" a furious mew came from behind Treefur. He jumped to find Crowfeather- a gray tom cat with green eyes- behind him. "You were never suppose to know those names! I promised your father I'd keep you from knowing them."

"Why?" Treefur asked Crowfeather.

"Your mother and father thought that maybe if you knew nothing of them that they may not haunt you as they did your ancestors for the past two generations." Crowfeather bowed his head. "Obviously they were wrong."

Treefur looked back at his sisters and they looked back at him.

"So, you've talked to cats from StarClan?" Lilypetal asked Treefur.

"Yeah," Treefur said. He led his gaze back to Crowfeather. "He said we're all in danger. But how? They're dead!"

"There are ways, young warrior," Crowfeather said. "Unfortunately I'm getting too old deal with these kind of things. You three and Birchstripe are going to have to fight Tigerstar and his followers and put an end to this before your kits have to deal with him. I'm afraid though," he bent his head, "that he can only invite you into the Dark Forest- there's no way he'll take you all there. He's smarter than that."

"What if we made an ally with a cat from the Dark Forest?" Treefur asked. Crowfeather's expression was pure shock.

"You never want to do that!" Crowfeather yelled back at Treefur.

"If it's the only chance we've got..." Lilypetal trailed off.

Crowfeather looked at Lilypetal then back to Treefur. "You must _never _make allies in the Dark Forest, you hear? Your great great grandmother did and she paid for it dearly."

Treefur, Lilypetal, and Flowerheart nodded their heads halfheartedly. Crowfeather, still suspicious of the young warriors, left the den.

"How can I get into the Dark Forest...?" Treefur asked himself out loud, looking down thoughtfully.

Lilypetal and Flowerheart glanced at each other nervously. They looked back at their brother and Lilypetal said "what if you really can't?"

Treefur looked at her thoughtfully.

"What if you really can't get into the Dark Forest without Tigerstar inviting you?" Lilypetal continued.

"I can..." Treefur mumbled desperately, half to himself. "I know I can. I have to!"

Over the next few days Treefur did everything he could to find out how to get into the Dark Forest; he asked the elders about the Dark Forest constantly, at Gatherings he would always the other Clans' elders, he ever asked warriors and apprentices. But none told him anything he really needed to know.

One night Treefur's needs had been fulfilled... Tigerstar invited him to the Dark Forest.


	10. Chapter 8

Birchstripe fell into pure darkness. He walked forward a few steps and looked around nervously. He circled around a few times, fearful of what might be lurking in the never-ending darkness.

"Is anybody out there?" he called desperately. The only answer was his own echo that slowly faded away.

"I'm here..." said a she-cat's gentle voice. Birchstripe knew her voice.

"Applepaw...?" Birchstripe murmured disbelievingly, turning in quick, panicked circles. "Is that you?"

"My name is _Appleblossom _now, brother," she said menacingly.

"Where are you?" Birchstripe called into the darkness.

"Dead."

Treefur woke up in a forest unlike any other he'd ever been to; there were no sounds, no smells, no wind to brush over his pelt. At first he thought he was back in StarClan, but he soon realized this place could never be that forest he'd been in that night. Treefur felt fearful and nervous as he padded on through the dark pine trees that loomed menacingly around him.

"Treefur!" a voice said behind him. He spun around quickly to find his sisters Lilypetal and Flowerheart behind him. They looked as nervous and as afraid as he was.

"Are you two okay?" Treefur asked them as they quickly padded up to him.

"We're fine," they said in unison. "We just got here," Flowerheart added.

Treefur sighed a sigh of relief. "Good. Now we need to find Bir-"

"You're not going to find Birchstripe here, young warriors," a cold, deep voice interrupted Treefur.

Treefur spun around behind himself to find a large dark tabby tom with many scars and terrifying amber eyes. "Who are you?" Treefur asked the stranger.

"I am Tigerstar," the stranger said. Treefur, Flowerheart, and Lilypetal backed away warily.

"Stay away!" Lilypetal warned, her back arched and a deep growl coming from her throat. "We know about you!"

Treefur looked back at her sister then back at Tigerstar. "What have you done with Birchstripe?" he demanded, trying to sound brave- he was failing.

Tigerstar looked up and sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't bring him up," he said. He looked back at Treefur, Lilypetal, and Flowerheart. "Your brother is gone. Move on and get over it."

"What did you do!" Flowerheart demanded furiously, unable to control her anger.

"Let's just say Birchstripe is lost and he'll never find his way home," Tigerstar mocked, smiling coldly. "You three, on the other paw... I don't know what to do with you now that you're here."

Another tom cat came into the clearing, his head was bowed down and he was mumbling to himself nervously. He looked up and Treefur, Lilypetal, and Flowerheart knew exactly who he was.

"Oakkit...?" Flowerheart asked curiously, her heart swelling with joy. Then she looked down thoughtfully and backed away. "What-what are you doing here?"

"I'm Oakleaf now! I'm not explaining this a second time!"

"What? Explain? Explain what?" Lilypetal asked, taking a pawstep towards her brother. "You talked to Birchstripe, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I talked to him," Oakleaf said. "I took care of him, too."

"What do you mean?" Treefur asked stupidly as Lilypetal started to cry and Flowerheart looked as if she were going to lunge at her dead brother.

Oakleaf rolled his eyes. "Treefur, you really are no smarter now than you were when we were kits."

"What'd you do to Birchstripe!" Flowerheart demanded, thrusting Treefur behind her with her front paw. Her back was arched and she was spitting and hissing viciously. She hesitated a moment then she lunged at Oakleaf and knocked him to the ground.

Soon the whole clearing was fighting; Treefur was fighting- and miserably losing- against Tigerstar, Flowerheart was fighting Oakleaf, and Lilypetal was battling a new cat who'd come into the clearing just a moment after the fighting started.

Treefur backed away from Tigerstar, panting hard. He had a long gash along his right side and his ear was torn. "StarClan help us!"

"You're... dead?" Birchstripe called out to the darkness and the voice of his sister Appleblossom. "But how?"

"It's really quite simple," Appleblossom responded, still not coming out from wherever she was speaking. "I went out to try and find a big squirrel for Foxheart the day of our warrior ceremony. I thought I could make him proud of me. But I lost track of where I was going and accidentally stepped out of Clan territory where some loners found me and brutally murdered me without any sadness or regard. I don't know what happened to my body after that. They probably dumped it somewhere and some rats feasted on it. But I don't care."

"But why are you here?" Birchstripe asked. "And why are you angry with me?"

"Because, Birchstripe, you never cared to come and look for me! You never cared!" she yelled furiously.

Birchstripe bowed his head shamefully. "I'm sorry..." he trailed off. He closed his eyes. "I should've looked for you, I know that now." He pulled his head up and looked around for any traces of his sister. "I'm so sorry, Appleblossom. Forgive me."


End file.
